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voidtreckernet2020-02-10 10:45 am
unfavorableinstigation) wrote in voidtreckernet2020-02-10 10:45 am
Entry tags:
Status Check and Dream Review! [OTA]
Video (Several hours after everyone's awake again.)
From: Cabin 4-B
To: Everywhere
[Despite having turned one of the cabin's ICP units on, Nita is still writing in her own Manual in plain view of the camera.]
Anxiety dreams - what were those creatures anyway? They looked like they were made of wings-
[While from this angle the writing isn't clear, and given it's in the Speech it's a gamble if your character can make sense of individual syllables at all, it's obvious Nita is grouping details into lists.
Nita looks up, brown hair fuzzed from sleep as if the past day had been normal, like she'd just slept through the night instead of a whole day.]
Hey, all. I wanted to check with you - does anyone else remember that falling dream? Not the ones with flying, though there were a lot of those - but where you're lying back on something, just watching the sky, and then there's-
[Nita breaks off, shaking her head.]
It's not clear now, but it was like everything shattering. Like a dark version of the Big Bang, if I had to use an analogy, with everyone going everywhere. Then there was screaming, and I woke up.
Did anyone else get that?
[Nita pauses, considering.]
Oh, and if anyone was in the game car when the breach happened, mind telling me what it looked like? Or if anything like this has happened before, with the Void. That'd be good to know, too.
[Nita scratches down a few more lines.]
So, just in case we haven't met yet, I'm Nita Callahan, I'm in Cabin 4-B, and I'd really appreciate some kind of context for this!
From: Cabin 4-B
To: Everywhere
[Despite having turned one of the cabin's ICP units on, Nita is still writing in her own Manual in plain view of the camera.]
Anxiety dreams - what were those creatures anyway? They looked like they were made of wings-
[While from this angle the writing isn't clear, and given it's in the Speech it's a gamble if your character can make sense of individual syllables at all, it's obvious Nita is grouping details into lists.
Nita looks up, brown hair fuzzed from sleep as if the past day had been normal, like she'd just slept through the night instead of a whole day.]
Hey, all. I wanted to check with you - does anyone else remember that falling dream? Not the ones with flying, though there were a lot of those - but where you're lying back on something, just watching the sky, and then there's-
[Nita breaks off, shaking her head.]
It's not clear now, but it was like everything shattering. Like a dark version of the Big Bang, if I had to use an analogy, with everyone going everywhere. Then there was screaming, and I woke up.
Did anyone else get that?
[Nita pauses, considering.]
Oh, and if anyone was in the game car when the breach happened, mind telling me what it looked like? Or if anything like this has happened before, with the Void. That'd be good to know, too.
[Nita scratches down a few more lines.]
So, just in case we haven't met yet, I'm Nita Callahan, I'm in Cabin 4-B, and I'd really appreciate some kind of context for this!
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"Well, I can't say I've come across many people who could confront their fears as well as you did back in the dream." It's a bit of a shift in subject as to what they're talking about, sure. But what Nita said was a nice segway, and Inigo feels like it still had to be said anyway. Nita was really amazing back there, and she deserves to hear as much. It wasn't exactly the easiest situation, after all. And so she deserves credit for it.
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But right now, Nita's surprised enough by what Inigo's saying to not be neutral.
"Wait, what? Uhh, you mean the ball-kicking?"
One hand retreated to the back of her head reflexively, trying to smooth down hair - or rather, her nerves.
"I had no idea if that was going to work, really..."
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He can at least tell that her gesture is a nervous one. If not just because Inigo uses that one himself all the time. But that's exactly why he's trying to not go as overboard with the dramatics right now as he speaks, instead trying to keep his tone more reassuring.
"That just makes it even more amazing, don't you think? You didn't know if it would work or not, yet you did it anyway. That takes courage."
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"I- I mean, I did take the Oath, and 'fear for courage' is part of that, but... I'm just not the best at sports, that's all."
She looks away. "And with how that dream was going... that's just another anxiety, isn't it? I'm surprised that- whatever it was didn't start picking on those, too."
Though it hadn't really had to, given it'd already latched on to the bigger issue of sacrifice. Namely, people sacrificing themselves to protect her, combined with them leaving.
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"Hmm. It is true that these dreams were rather.. specific." For Nita it was people leaving her, with a slightly more specific twist that Inigo isn't too sure of, yet also doesn't want to dig too deep into for the sake of her privacy. It's a fear he shares too, yet that wasn't really a thing in his dream as much as all of his self-depreciation was. "I suppose it's not too uncommon to dream of your fears, but just as you say.. It also almost feels like there was something picking on what lives deep within us."
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Frankly, there's so many weird dreams that both support and contradict Inigo's argument that she's not sure which one to bring up next.
"Though I don't think all of them were ours. Did you get one about being left outside of- I think it was a Voidtrecker gathering? I remember the hoods, and not being able to reach the campfire."
She shakes her head in disbelief. "I dealt with bullying as a kid, but the social isolation bit doesn't apply to me all that much these days. Becoming a wizard kinda helped with that, though," she adds.
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Although his cheeks start to turn pink for some reason. Usually he wouldn't admit to what he's about to say, but for the sake of what they're thinking about and for how much of him Nita has already seen, he forces it out.
"I-- I kind of thought that was a personal dream for me though. Until now." Is it any wonder that extreme self-depreciation and a feeling of being left or not belonging could go hand in hand? He doesn't go more in depth about it though, now it realises it might have been more generally meant rather than yet another manifestation of his insecurities. "But I still understand what you mean. I did have a dream involving falling near the end that felt very vague and impersonal."
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"Flying was a common theme, too; those dreams really blurred together after a while."
Always with the void involved, though. Odd...
She nods emphatically at that last mention. "From my experience, that might mean it's a message. From the train, maybe?"
Though from the look on her face now, she isn't all that certain - or certain how to feel about it if she's right.
"Or... whatever's out there in the void."
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It's not a fun thought. He'd rather not linger on it, so he shakes his head.
"Whatever caused it, I just would honestly like for it to not happen again, if at all possible. Do you think perhaps a suggestion should be made about it? Of course we can't be sure something will actually be done with that, but still.."
Nita is way ahead of you there, Inigo.. Granted, he's not as good with the ICP yet. Or keyboards. But he's trying.
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"There's a submissions page for that, I checked. Still can't guarantee a response, like you said, but..."
Her hand lowers, and she moves to sink down onto the nearest bed, sighing again.
"If we can't get detection spells to work on anything outside the train, maybe it can get its own radar."
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Even if the train - or whatever is behind the train and replying to those messages - says no, it's not like they'll actually lose anything. Inigo tries to smile despite the memory of the dreams. If not just to counter her sigh and maybe make her feel a tad more hopeful too.
"Let's just assume that was the last time we have to endure anything like it. As far as I know, it's the first time this has happened to the train for as long as I have been aboard it. That could be why they didn't have measures in place already."
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Nita holds her head in her hands, contemplating - then looks up.
"Really? I guess that is a good sign."
Buttercup had mentioned the train 'crashing' and briefly ending up in normal space with disabled gravity engines, and that hadn't happened again...
"Still, if this whole Express deal is a larger deal than just the one train, maybe there are other trains that do have radar?"
Something to puzzle over - that isn't their own insecurities. Another plus!
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"Are you implying they are making us travel around in a second-rate old model?" Of course he's not fully serious about that. Inigo is just putting a slightly casual joke spin on it, since it feels easier to think about these things that way. "How cruel! They should at least have prepared the best of the best for honoured guests like us."
... How many times can we make train puns in this thread? /is excite
She knows - or is at least pretty sure - he's joking, but there might be something to it!
"They may not even know we're being picked up like this at all! Or at least, why it's happening."
Someone needs to tell her about the ticket inspectors...
i don't know, at this rate we might be going a bit off the rails.......
Inigo may not be a huge expert on interdimensional travel, but he's done it at least once before the train. So.. good enough?
"Especially when the void apparently isn't empty." Considering they literally got hit by something that caused this whole dream mess to begin with.
But as long as we choo-choose to go there, we should be fine!
"And that's another thing; if things are solid enough in the void to hit us - what else can they do?"
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"What are you thinking of?" It's not that he himself can't think of anything when she suggests that. But most of the things he can think of are things he'd rather not imagine, or even start about when Inigo likes keeping conversations positive. So he's just bouncing the question back to Nita and hoping she'll bring up some positive spin. Hopefully.
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"But that means it's also like radiation, and there's only so much of that any living thing can sustain at any one time."
She pauses.
"That might be why we 'lose time' between what passes for night here and waking up in the morning; the train's just minimizing our exposure. But then, the void would only have to affect conscious minds, if that's what that measure's for."
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Inigo's jaw drops open. Not necessarily in surprise - if anything, it looks more like he's about to say something in reply. But that 'ah' is all that leaves his mouth before he just awkwardly ends up closing it again. This is going way above his head (what is radiation even! help!), but he isn't very eager to show it and make himself look even worse in front of Nita than his dream already has done for him.
"R.. Right." How is he even going to talk his way out of this and not seem like an idiot. "I.. would most definitely not want to be overexposed to this.. radiation! That awful, awful radiation!"
Nailed it.
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As a result, she puts her best effort behind not laughing at him - he's trying his best and, given how this conversation had already spun, is also right.
"True enough! If there's no way we'd have past experience with the effects, all we'll accomplish in trying to figure it out is probably just worrying ourselves sick instead!"
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"Right you are! You have no idea how glad I am to share this stay on the train with someone as charming and intelligent as you." And hey, at least he's also giving praise in turn when he's pleased. Even though he lays it on a little thick.
He releases a breath and then stands up.
"I should probably get going though. There is actually someone else I'm meaning to speak about these dreams with, so I should go look for him. You didn't happen to see a guy with silver hair pass by, right?"
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Still, the conversation turns again, and she nods, trying to remember who exactly Inigo could mean.
"... Don't think so. He's probably in this or the next car up, though? If he joined up at the same stop I did."
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"If I happen to miss him, could you please tell him I'm looking for him in case you do spot him? His name is Yuki-- I don't know if you know him? He's incredibly handsome, with grey hair.. slightly reserved, but sweet and polite?"
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"... Not unlike you, huh? But different hair color."
Is she teasing him? Is she flattering him? Nita's not actually entirely sure; it just slips out.
"Yeah, I'll remember. Yuki, got it."
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But despite being unable to figure that out, his face instinctively grows red all the same, and the dopiest smile ever appears only a moment later. He's quite obviously basking in that compliment, even if it might have been intended to tease.
"Well.. Y-yes, of course..! In fact, maybe he can't quite live up to this handsome face, but he gets very, very close!" That's a total lie, since Inigo definitely thinks the boy he's refering to is more handsome than he is, but he's just saying the first dumb thing that comes to mind in the middle of how flustered she got him there.
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